Helonias (False Unicorn) is a perennial herb growing in rich, moist woods, thickets, and meadows in the eastern U.S.^4,9,10 Stem is smooth and simple with alternate leaves, growing 1-3 feet tall out of a basal whorl of smooth, oblong leaves.⁹ False Unicorn flowers from MayÐJuly with clusters of yellowish flowers on long drooping spikes.⁴ Male flowers have stamens longer than the petals with terminal, 2-lobed anthers. Female flowers have linear petals with ovate ovaries. The herb bears numerous capsule-shaped fruit.¹¹

Helonias prefers partial to full shade and acidic soil. Growers harvest 4-6 year old roots and dry them for medicinal use.¹⁰